Quadrophenia (film)

Last updated

Quadrophenia
Quadrophenia movie.jpg
UK theatrical release poster
by Renato Casaro
Directed by Franc Roddam
Screenplay by
Based on Quadrophenia
by the Who
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Brian Tufano
Edited by
  • Sean Barton
  • Mike Taylor
Music by
Production
companies
The Who Films Ltd
Polytel Films
Curbishley-Baird Enterprises
Distributed by Brent Walker Film Distributors
Release dates
  • 16 August 1979 (1979-08-16)(Premiere)
  • 17 August 1979 (1979-08-17)(London)
Running time
120 minutes [1]
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget £2 million [2]
Box office$1,050,000 [3] is

Quadrophenia is a 1979 British drama film, based on the Who's 1973 rock opera of the same name. It was directed by Franc Roddam in his feature directing debut. Unlike the adaptation of Tommy , Quadrophenia is not a musical film, and the band does not appear live in the film.

Contents

The film, set in London in 1964, depicts a period of emotional turmoil in the life of Jimmy Cooper (Phil Daniels), a young Mod who escapes from his dead-end job as a postroom boy by dancing, partying, taking amphetamines, riding his scooter and brawling with Rockers.

Plot

In 1964, young London Mod Jimmy Cooper, disillusioned with his parents and a dull job as a post-room boy at an advertising firm, vents his teenage angst by taking amphetamines, partying, riding scooters and brawling with Rockers, accompanied by his Mod friends Dave, Chalky and Spider.

An attack by hostile Rockers on Spider leads to a retaliatory attack on Jimmy's childhood friend Kevin, one of the rival Rockers. Jimmy initially participates, but on realising the victim is Kevin, he berates the other attackers but does not stop them, instead riding away on his scooter, revving his engine loudly in frustration.

A planned bank holiday weekend away provides the excuse for the rivalry between Mods and Rockers to escalate, as both groups descend on the seaside town of Brighton. Jimmy plans to be noticed as a 'face' and hints to Steph – a girl on whom he has a crush – that he would like her to ride with him, but she confirms plans to ride instead with Pete, an older, well-heeled Mod.

To prepare for the weekend, the friends attempt to buy some recreational drugs from London gangster Harry North but are cheated with fake pills. After vandalising the drug-seller's car in retaliation, they desperately rob a pharmacy, finding a large quantity of their favourite "blues".

After an early morning group ride from London to the south coast, the friends gather on the seafront, where Jimmy first sees a flamboyant scooter-riding Mod he describes as Ace Face. Later, in a dance hall, Jimmy suggests that he will help Steph, whose escort is now chatting to an attractive American girl, to dance with Ace Face but on the dance floor ushers her away to dance by himself. Steph leaves Jimmy to dance with Ace Face, whereupon Jimmy plots to gain attention by climbing up onto the balcony-edge and dancing with much applause, annoying Ace Face. After diving into the audience, Jimmy is ejected by bouncers. Steph's escort leaves with the American girl.

The lads spend the night sleeping rough, meet up at a cafe the following morning, then proceed along the promenade, where a series of running battles ensues. As the police corner the rioters, Jimmy escapes down an alleyway with Steph and they have sex. When the pair emerge, they find themselves amidst the melee just as police are detaining rioters. Jimmy is arrested and detained with the volatile Ace Face. When fined a hefty £75—equivalent to £1,900in 2023—Ace Face mocks the magistrate by offering to pay on the spot with a cheque, impressing the fellow Mods with his presumed wealth.

Back in London, Jimmy becomes severely depressed. His mother throws him out after finding his stash of amphetamine pills. He then leaves his job, spends his severance package on more pills and learns that Steph is now his friend Dave's girlfriend. After briefly fighting with Dave, the following morning his rejection is confirmed by Steph, and his beloved Lambretta scooter is damaged in a crash involving a Royal Mail parcel van. Jimmy takes a train back to Brighton, taking increasing levels of pills and becoming more emotionally unstable.

Lonely and unsure what to do with himself, he revisits the scenes of the riots and his encounter with Steph. Then Jimmy is shocked to discover that his idol, Ace Face, has a menial job as a bellboy at the Grand Brighton Hotel. Jimmy steals Ace's Vespa scooter and heads to Beachy Head, riding close to the cliff-edge. For a time, he appears to be having an enjoyable ride in the sunshine, but then he stops and glares miserably at the sea. Finally, the scooter is seen crashing over the cliff-top, which is where the film began (with Jimmy walking back against a sunset backdrop).

Cast

John Lydon (Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols) screen-tested for the role of Jimmy Cooper. The distributors of the film refused to insure him for the role and he was replaced by Phil Daniels. [4]

Most of the cast were reunited after 28 years at Earls Court on 1 and 2 September 2007 as part of The Quadrophenia Reunion at the London Film & Comic Con run by Quadcon.co.uk. [5] Subsequently, the cast agreed to be part of a Quadrophenia Convention at Brighton in 2009. [5]

Production

"Quadrophenia Alley", between East Street and Little East Street, Brighton, England, made famous as the location where Jimmy Cooper and Steph have sex in Quadrophenia. The small yard is to the right of the "Chris from Margate" graffiti, a spot often visited and left with graffiti to mark that visit. Turning left will take you to East Street. Alley Between East Street and Little East Street - geograph.org.uk - 1116449.jpg
"Quadrophenia Alley", between East Street and Little East Street, Brighton, England, made famous as the location where Jimmy Cooper and Steph have sex in Quadrophenia. The small yard is to the right of the "Chris from Margate" graffiti, a spot often visited and left with graffiti to mark that visit. Turning left will take you to East Street.

Several references to the Who appear throughout the film as "Easter eggs", including an anachronistic inclusion of a repackaged Who album that was not available at the time, a clip of the band performing "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" on the television series Ready Steady Go! , pictures of the band and a "Maximum R&B" poster in Jimmy's bedroom, and the inclusion of "My Generation" during a party gatecrashing scene. The film was almost cancelled when Keith Moon, the drummer for the Who, died, but in the words of Roddam, the producers, Roy Baird and Bill Curbishley, "held it together" and the film was made.[ citation needed ]

Only one scene in the film was shot in the studio; all others were on location. Beachy Head, where Jimmy considers suicide at the film's ending, is 14 miles from Saltdean, the site of the real-life cliffside death of a young mod in 1964 that Roddam has said inspired Townshend's original concept, though Townshend has denied this. [6]

Brighton seafront where the friends gathered after travelling from London Arches on Brighton Seafront - geograph.org.uk - 1413180.jpg
Brighton seafront where the friends gathered after travelling from London

The stunt coordinators underestimated the distance that the scooter would fly through the air after being driven off Beachy Head. Franc Roddam, who shot the scene from a helicopter, was almost hit.[ citation needed ]

Jeff Dexter, a club dancer and disc jockey fixture in the Sixties London music scene was the DJ in the club scenes, and was the uncredited choreographer of 500 extras for the ballroom and club scenes. He also choreographed Sting's feet in his dance close-ups. Dexter managed America.

Trevor Laird (Ferdy) was scripted to appear in a party scene kissing and having sex with a white girl, but was excluded from the scene by associate producer John Peverall due to concerns that it could cause problems with distributors in South Africa and the southern United States. Toyah Willcox has said that cast members discussed going on strike over the incident. [7]

Soundtrack

Quadrophenia is the soundtrack album to the 1979 film of the same name, which refers to the 1973 rock opera Quadrophenia . [8] It was initially released on Polydor Records in 1979 as a cassette and LP and was re-released as a compact disc in 1993 and 2001. The album was dedicated to Peter Meaden, a prominent Mod and first manager of the Who, who had died a year before the album's release.[ citation needed ]

The album contains ten of the seventeen tracks from the original rock opera Quadrophenia (as not all of the tracks were used in the film). These are different mixes from those that appear on the 1973 album as they were remixed in 1979 by John Entwistle. The most notable difference is the track "The Real Me" (used for the title sequence of the film) which features a different bass track, more prominent vocals and a more definite ending. [9] Most of the tracks are also edited to be slightly shorter. The soundtrack also includes three tracks by the Who that did not appear on the 1973 album.[ citation needed ]

Release

The film was first shown during the Cannes Film Festival on May 14, 1979. The film had its premiere at the Plaza cinema in London on 16 August 1979. [10] It opened to the public the following day and grossed £36,472 in its opening week from four cinemas in London, placing second behind Moonraker at the London box office. [10] [11]

Reception

Janet Maslin, reviewing the film for The New York Times in 1979, called it "...gritty and ragged and sometimes quite beautiful", creating a "...slice-of-life movie that feels tremendously authentic in its sentiments as well as its details." [12] Maslin states that the director's scenes of youth battles "...capture a fierce, dizzying excitement that epitomizes a kind of youthful extreme." [12] Reviewer Brian Gibson from Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada) stated that "Roddam's look back at an angsty young man in '65 is a throwback to the kitchen-sink dramas that began plumbing the depths of working class lives then. Reeking with a restless teen spirit, Quadrophenia leads us down adolescence's blind alleys of rebellion." [13] [14] Critic Matt Brunson from Creative Loafing stated that the film "[m]anages to be both quintessentially British and irrefutably universal", giving it a 3.5/4 score. [15] Reviewer Eric Melin from Scene-Stealers.com states that the film has a "...gritty, realistic feel and the themes of youthful rebellion and confusion are absolutely timeless, magnified by the specificity of the setting rather than being limited by it"; he also gave the movie a 3.5/4 score. [16] Reviewer Christopher Long from Movie Metropolis commented that "[w]hen you're an angry young man [like the main character], there's no better way to prove you're an individual than to dress and act exactly like everybody else"; Long gave the film a 6/10 score. [17]

Dennis Schwartz from Ozus' World Movie Reviews stated that the "...film lives through the superb raw angst-ridden performance of [lead] Phil Daniels"; Schwartz gave the movie a B+. [14] Critic Cole Smithey from ColeSmithey.com called the film a "...glorious representational story of male teen angst that transcends its British locations and great music with a sense of the confused romantic notions that young men the world over carry with them"; Smithey gave the film an A+. [14] Reviewer Ken Hanke from the Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) called it a "[d]isappointing film version of a great concept album"; he gave the film a 3/5 score. [14] Film critic Jeffrey M. Anderson from Combustible Celluloid states that where the film "...succeeds[, it does so] through its devil-may-care attitude and energy"; on the other hand, Anderson states that the film "...feels like a low-budget homemade movie from the period." [14]

Rotten Tomatoes collected reviews from 14 critics and gave Quadrophenia a 100% rating. [14]

The New York Times placed the film on its Best 1000 Movies Ever list. [18]

Home media

Sirius Publishing, Inc. released the film on the now defunct MovieCD format in 1991. The package included 3 discs for the movie itself along with other promotional material for the format and other films offered by Sirius on MovieCD. The packaging also carries the logo for Rhino Home Video indicating some form of involvement in this release. [19]

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment first released the film on DVD in the United Kingdom in 1999 with an 8-minute montage featurette. It used the VHS print, resulting in a much lower-quality video than expected. Following this in the United States was a special edition by Rhino, which included a remastered letterboxed wide screen transfer, a commentary, several interviews, galleries, and a quiz. However, it was a shorter cut of the film, with several minutes of footage missing.[ citation needed ]

Rhino Home Video released the film on DVD on 25 September 2001. [20]

On 7 August 2006, Universal improved upon their original UK DVD with a Region 2 two-disc special edition. The film was digitally remastered and included a new commentary by Franc Roddam, Phil Daniels and Leslie Ash. Disc 2 features an hour-long documentary and a featurette with Roddam discussing the locations. [21] Unlike their previous DVD, it was the complete, longer version, and it was matted to the correct aspect ratio.[ citation needed ]

The Criterion Collection released a special edition version of this movie on 28 August 2012, on both DVD and Blu-ray formats.[ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Who</span> English rock band

The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of the most influential rock bands of the 20th century, their contributions to rock music include the development of the Marshall stack, large public address systems, the use of synthesizers, Entwistle's and Moon's influential playing styles, Townshend's feedback and power chord guitar technique, and the development of the rock opera. They are cited as an influence by many hard rock, punk, power pop and mod bands. The Who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pete Townshend</span> English musician (born 1945)

Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend is an English musician. He is the co-founder, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s. His aggressive playing style and poetic songwriting techniques, with the Who and in other projects, have earned him critical acclaim.

<i>Quadrophenia</i> 1973 studio album by the Who

Quadrophenia is the sixth studio album by the English rock band the Who, released as a double album on 26 October 1973 by Track Records. It is the group's third rock opera, the previous two being the "mini-opera" song "A Quick One, While He's Away" (1966) and the album Tommy (1969). Set in London and Brighton in 1965, the story follows a young mod named Jimmy and his search for self-worth and importance. Quadrophenia is the only Who album entirely written by Pete Townshend.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mods and rockers</span> Conflict of two British youth subcultures

Mods and rockers were two conflicting British youth subcultures of the late 1950s to mid 1960s. Media coverage of the two groups fighting in 1964 sparked a moral panic about British youth, and they became widely perceived as violent, unruly troublemakers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mod (subculture)</span> Subculture in England

Mod, from the word modernist, is a subculture that began in late 1950s London and spread throughout Great Britain, eventually influencing fashions and trends in other countries. It continues today on a smaller scale. Focused on music and fashion, the subculture has its roots in a small group of stylish London-based young men and women in the late 1950s who were termed modernists because they listened to modern jazz. Elements of the mod subculture include fashion ; music and motor scooters. In the mid-1960s when they started to fade out, the subculture listened to rock groups with jazz and blues influences such as the Who and Small Faces. The original mod scene was associated with amphetamine-fuelled all-night jazz dancing at clubs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Who discography</span> Cataloguing of published recordings by the Who

The discography of the English rock band the Who consists of 12 studio albums, 18 live albums, four soundtrack albums, 36 compilation albums, four extended plays, 58 singles and 25 video albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">5:15</span> Song by The Who

"5:15" is a song written by Pete Townshend of British rock band The Who. Part of the band's second rock opera, Quadrophenia (1973), the song was also released as a single and reached No. 20 on the UK Singles Chart, while the 1979 re-release reached No. 45 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Real Me (The Who song)</span> Original song written and composed by Peter Townshend

"The Real Me" is a song written by Pete Townshend on The Who's second full-scale rock opera, Quadrophenia in 1973. This is the second track on the album, although it is the first with lyrics. It concerns a boy named Jimmy, a young English Mod with four distinct personalities. The song describes how he angrily deals with several individuals to identify "the real me". The song was released as a single in the United States and Canada in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love, Reign o'er Me</span> Song by The Who

"Love, Reign o'er Me", subtitled "Pete's Theme", is a song by English rock band The Who. Written and composed by guitarist Pete Townshend, it was released on 27 October 1973 as the second single from the band's sixth studio album and second rock opera, Quadrophenia. It is the final song on the album, and has been a concert staple for years. The song peaked at number 76 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 54 on Cash Box.

"Sea and Sand" is a song by The Who. It was released on the group's 1973 rock opera album Quadrophenia, where it is the second track of the third side of the record.

"I'm One" is a song by The Who. It was released on the group's 1973 rock opera album Quadrophenia. Written and sung by Pete Townshend, the song has since become a fan favorite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoot Suit/I'm the Face</span> 1964 single by the High Numbers

"Zoot Suit" b/w "I'm the Face" was the first single of the British rock band the Who, who recorded it under the name the High Numbers in an attempt to appeal to a mod audience. "Zoot Suit" was written by Peter Meaden, the band's first manager. The song is a direct copy of "Misery" by the American R&B group the Dynamics, while the B-side, "I'm the Face", is a copy of Slim Harpo's "I Got Love If You Want It." The single was meant for a mod audience, but failed to chart. The band changed their name back to The Who, found new management, and released their own composition "I Can't Explain", which became a top ten hit in the United Kingdom.

"Drowned" is a song written by Pete Townshend, the guitarist for the Who, for their sixth album, Quadrophenia.

<i>Quadrophenia</i> (soundtrack) 1979 soundtrack album by the Who

Quadrophenia is the soundtrack album of the 1979 film Quadrophenia, which refers to the 1973 rock opera Quadrophenia. It was initially released on Polydor Records in 1979 as a cassette and LP and was re-released as a compact disc in 1993 and 2001. The album was dedicated to Peter Meaden, a prominent Mod and first manager of The Who, who had died a year prior to the album's release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loren Gold</span> Musical artist

Loren Gold is an American keyboardist, vocalist, music director, and songwriter. Gold is a keyboardist and vocalist for the Who and Chicago. In addition, Gold has been the touring keyboardist and backup vocalist for Roger Daltrey since 2009. Gold also performs with Rita Wilson and has toured regularly with Don Felder since 2009. Other artists he has toured with include Kenny Loggins, Natalie Maines, and American Idol winner Taylor Hicks. Gold has been musical director for pop stars Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, and Hilary Duff, and he continues to build and develop bands for other artists. Gold has published two instructional books through his collaboration with Alfred Music, and his original compositions have been featured on HBO and Showtime.

<i>Tommy and Quadrophenia Live</i> 2005 video by The Who

Tommy and Quadrophenia Live is a 3-disc DVD box set that includes performances by The Who from their 1989 and 1996-1997 tours. Whilst the Tommy part of the set had been already released on VHS, material from the Quadrophenia Tour had not been commercially available previously.

"Bell Boy" is a song recorded by the Who for the 1973 album Quadrophenia and 1979 movie of the same name. It was never released as a single.

<i>Quadrophenia</i> (musical) Musical

Quadrophenia is a musical based on the sixth studio album by English rock band The Who, released on 19 October 1973, and a film of the same name, released in 1979. The album was the group's second full-length rock opera, and the story reveals social, musical and psychological events from an English teenager's perspective. The music and songs were composed by Pete Townshend and the story is set in London and Brighton in 1964 and '65.

<i>Quadrophenia Live in London</i> 2014 live album by The Who

Quadrophenia Live in London is a live release from British rock band, The Who. It documents their 8 July 2013 concert at London's Wembley Arena, the final show of their 2013 tour. It is available as a double-CD album, DVD, Blu-ray and deluxe box set and was released on 9 June 2014. The DVD debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Music Video Sales Chart.

To Be Someone is a British film loosely related to the 1979 film, Quadrophenia. The film is directed by Ray Burdis and written by Pete Meadows.

References

  1. ↑ "Quadrophenia (X)". British Board of Film Classification . 19 March 1979. Archived from the original on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  2. ↑ von Tunzelmann, Alex (18 August 2011). "Quadrophenia: back when Britain's youngsters ran riot". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 7 July 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  3. ↑ Donahue, Suzanne Mary (1987). American film distribution : the changing marketplace. UMI Research Press. p. 298. ISBN   9780835717762. Please note figures are for rentals in US and Canada
  4. ↑ Catterall, Ali; Wells, Simon (2002). Your Face Here: British Cult Movies Since the Sixties. HarperCollins. ISBN   978-0-00-714554-6.
  5. 1 2 "QUADCON The Quadrophenia Movie Convention". Archived from the original on 8 November 2008. Retrieved 15 November 2008.
  6. ↑ Simon Wells,Quadrophenia's Lost Mod?, Blogspot, 27 June 2009
  7. ↑ Abigail Gillibrand, Quadrophenia cast threatened strike as Trevor Laird 'couldn't be seen with white girl', Metro.co.uk, 15 September 2019
  8. ↑ "The Who Official Band Website – Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle, and Keith Moon || Quadrophenia – Original Soundtrack". Thewho.com. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
  9. ↑ "The Who – Quadrophenia (1979 Soundtrack)". Thewho.info. 4 June 2011. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
  10. 1 2 "Four-way triumph". Screen International . 25 August 1979. p. 2.
  11. ↑ "London's Top Ten". Screen International . 25 August 1979. p. 1.
  12. 1 2 Maslin, Janet (2 November 1979). "Movie Review – Quadrophenia – Screen: Rock Drama From a Who Album:Mods and Rockers". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 27 January 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  13. ↑ "Quadrophenia – Vue Weekly". vueweekly.com. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Quadrophenia – Movie Reviews". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on 23 April 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  15. ↑ Brunson, Matt. "Quadrophenia, Titanic among new home entertainment titles". Creative Loafing Charlotte. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  16. ↑ "'Quadrophenia' Criterion Blu-ray Review". www.scene-stealers.com. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  17. ↑ "QUADROPHENIA – Blu-ray review – Movie Metropolis". 31 August 2012. Archived from the original on 31 August 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  18. ↑ The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made. The New York Times via Internet Archive. Published April 29, 2003. Retrieved June 12, 2008.
  19. ↑ Quadrophenia (First ed.). Scottsdale, AZ: Sirius Publishing, Inc. 1991.
  20. ↑ Rivero, Enrique (21 September 2001). "Quadrophenia' Director Happy DVD Prompted Restoration". hive4media.com. Archived from the original on 1 November 2001. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  21. ↑ "Pete Townshend – Who I Am: the autobiography". Thewho.com. Archived from the original on 27 June 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2012.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.